Congratulations to first-year students Mona E. Abboud and Garfield A. McIntyre Jr. and to all of the other participants who made the 2023 First-year Moot Court Competition a great success. The final round was judged by UGA President Jere W. Morehead, U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Jill A. Pryor and U.S. District Court Chief Judge Timothy C. Batten Sr. McIntyre was named champion and received the Morehead Best Oralist Award, while Abboud finished the tournament as finalist.
Marshall Chair of Constitutional Law Randy Beck provides insight into U.S. Supreme Court case Counterman v. Colorado. Beck says the chief legal question about the rule that "true threats" are not protected by the First Amendment. The issue is whether the speaker has to subjectively know or intend that others understand the comments as threatening, or whether it is enough that a "reasonable person" would view the words as a threat of violence.
Congratulations to second-year students Sarah C. Guilot, Aiden Meister and Joshua H. "Josh" Patton for winning the Best Brief Award and finishing the Intrastate Moot Court Competition as finalists. A second UGA team, composed of Cullen McDonough, Grace M. Repella and James G. "Jay" Bozza, finished as semifinalists. The teams were coached by third-year students Christian M. Sullivan, Alexander S. "Alex" Balser and Director of Advocacy Kellie Casey.
The School of Law finished the 38th Annual Dean Jerome Prince Memorial Evidence Competition as quarterfinalists. The team – comprised of third-year student Hunter T. Payne and second-year students Elizabeth Hope Garrison and Kirsten E. King – were coached by Director of Advocacy Kellie Casey, third-year student Roby H. Jernigan and 2022 alumnus Cole M. Harper. Thirty-six teams from law schools across the nation competed in the tournament.
Each year the School of Law community looks forward to Awards Day, when we celebrate the many accomplishments of our students and faculty. Dean Peter B. "Bo" Rutledge said the hard work of those selected certainly deserves recognition, credit and acknowledgment of a job well done. "Thank you for joining me to recognize the accomplishments of our 2023 Awards Day recipients. Congratulations to all!"